IGF 2024 WS #39 Data Sharing with Trust: How to Balance Benefits & Risks

    Organizer 1: Martina Le Gall Maláková, Industry Innovation Cluster
    Organizer 2: Anna Kompanek, 🔒Center for International Private Enterprise
    Organizer 3: Morgan Frost, 🔒Center for International Private Enterprise

    Speaker 1: Ryan Patrick Evangelista, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 2: Paola Galvez, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
    Speaker 3: Nicole Primmer, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Moderator

    Martina Le Gall Maláková, Civil Society, Eastern European Group

    Online Moderator

    Anna Kompanek, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Rapporteur

    Morgan Frost, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Format

    Roundtable
    Duration (minutes): 60
    Format description: A 60-minute roundtable format will allow for constructive dialogue among stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, intergovernmental organizations, and others to explore the benefits and risks of data sharing. This format, which provides an opportunity for speakers and IGF participants to share their views, will also provide a foundation for the IGF community to build consensus on how to establish trust in data sharing.

    Policy Question(s)

    1. How can governments, the private sector, and consumers work together to establish norms and standards that maximize the benefits of data sharing while minimizing risks?
    2. How are emerging technologies like generative AI and the Internet of Things reshaping the discussion around data sharing and privacy?
    3. What role can governments, the private sector, and the technical community play in contributing to the implementation of international frameworks that focus on sharing data with trust, such as the United Nations Global Digital Compact?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? Featuring stakeholders with diverse perspectives from the private sector, civil society, and an intergovernmental organization, the session will examine how the advancement of emerging technologies has underscored the need for data sharing to foster innovation and economic growth. Speakers and participants will engage in a constructive roundtable discussion to explore how trust in data sharing has been undermined and ways that the IGF community can work together to help address this challenge. Speakers and IGF participants will also be encouraged to identify recommendations on how to harmonize national data protection frameworks and establish global norms and standards that improve data governance.

    SDGs

    Description:

    The rapid advancement of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, coupled with the exponential growth of digital economy, have led to increased reliance on large volumes of data, transforming how societies and businesses around the world operate. As global reliance on data continues to accelerate, data sharing is essential in fostering innovation and driving economic growth in an increasingly digitalized world.

    However, a lack of harmonization across national data protection frameworks has resulted in the introduction of legislation and tactics that reduce the opportunities for constructive data sharing and increase privacy risks. For instance, data localization laws have restricted data sharing and stifled businesses that rely on cross-border data flows. Businesses also increasingly receive requests from governments and law enforcement agencies to share personal data of their users or clients for reasons that are not always well defined and with little due process. As a result, trust between governments, the private sector, and consumers when it comes to data sharing remains low, stalling efforts to improve international data governance.

    Common ground that establishes norms around data sharing and builds foundations to harmonize data protection frameworks is essential. At the same time, maximizing economic and societal benefits of data sharing will only be possible if trust is strengthened among governments, the private sector, and consumers. This participatory roundtable discussion will explore how these diverse stakeholder groups can work together to establish norms and standards that maximize the benefits of data sharing while minimizing risks. This session will also examine how to advance inclusive multistakeholder policy discussions on data flows and data protection at the national, regional, and international levels. While the speakers will offer diverse perspectives, IGF participants (in-person and online) will also be encouraged to offer their insights on the topic.

    Expected Outcomes

    This session will seek to outline challenges in establishing trust in data sharing and identify concrete recommendations on how to harmonize national data protection frameworks and build global consensus on data sharing norms and standards. The outputs from the session will also inform conversations on how governments, civil society, and the private sector can collaborate with one another to ensure effective implementation of international frameworks that focus on building trust in data sharing, such as the Global Digital Compact. To expand the reach of the session’s outputs, the convener, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), will share key takeaways from the roundtable discussion with its global partner network of local private sector and civil society organizations.

    Hybrid Format: Through inclusive moderation, the session organizers will ensure that speakers and participants have equal opportunities to contribute to the discussion, regardless of whether they are participating online or in-person. Following an opening conversation among the speakers, the remainder of the session will be dedicated to a roundtable discussion where IGF participants will be encouraged to share their own perspectives on the policy questions outlined above.